Roosevelt Island Saturday Farmers Market Returns Today To Good Shepherd Plaza, Some Customers Observe Social Distancing But Others Do Not - Last Day Of Food Scrap Drop Collection Until Further Notice Due To Coronavirus Emergency

The Roosevelt Island Saturday Farmers Market returned today to it's spring location in the open area of the Good Shepherd Plaza under very different circumstances than past years - the Coronavirus health emergency.

At 9:30 this morning, the Farmers Market was not as crowded as it would be on a normal pre-Coronavirus Saturday, but still busy with residents happy the Market was open. I was pleased to see that customers were maintaining their social distance waiting on the cashiers line.

Roosevelt island Saturday Farmers Market. Busy and people maintaining social distance waiting on line. Good job pic.twitter.com/f8dLcpeCBz

— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) March 21, 2020

I’d decided to be overly cautious and not go but your tweet changed my mind so I put on my mask grabbed my Schitts Creek tote and went. For the most part people were mindful of social distancing but of course there were a few🙄 The Market workers were great! Glad I went. 👍🏾

— NamelyNorm (@NamelyNorm) March 21, 2020

But another resident, Janet Falk, reports differently:

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A Little Bit Of Baseball, Because We All Could Use A Smile These Days- No, I'm Not Crying, Really I'm Not

Because we could all use a smile. ❤️⚾️ pic.twitter.com/YrmQWPo5Hq

— MLB (@MLB) March 20, 2020

You want to have a catch?

Sponsored Post - Roosevelt Island Foodtown Supermarket Using Every Resource Available To Stock Shelves And Keep Low Prices During Unprecedented Emergency, Offering Customer Appreciation Discount And Spring Promotion Savings - Online Shopping And Senior Citizens Hours Too

Roosevelt Island's new Foodtown Supermarket reports:

We apologize. Our struggling supply system and unprecedented demand prevent us from publishing this week's circular, but rest assured, we are using every resource available to stock our shelves as we continue to offer the same everyday low prices you’re used to. In the meantime, we want to offer all of our valued customers additional savings through our Customer Appreciation offer

and Spring Holiday Promotion.

The Spring Promotion has already started and the Customer Appreciation offer begins next Friday.

Roosevelt Island Foodtown Supermarket is offering On The Go online shopping and Senior Citizen Shopping Hours  Tuesday's and Wednesday's 7am -8am at Roosevelt Island Foodtown. Stay tune for more info.

Visit the Foodtown Supermarket web site and Facebook Page for more info.

Grow NYC Roosevelt Island Food Scrap Drop Off Collection At Good Shepherd Plaza Saturday Farmers Market Suspended Until Further Notice After Tomorrow Due To Coronavirus Pandemic

Roosevelt Island resident and iDig2Learn Founder Christina Delfico reports:

Regrettably but understandably Department of Sanitation will suspend all GrowNYC Food Scrap Drop Off collection & clothing collection starting Monday, March 23rd.

They WILL collect food scraps one more time on Roosevelt Island this Saturday 3/21 to help rid neighbors of the scraps collected this week. Collection operations will then be halted to protect staff and to minimize public crowds during the height of the virus. No restart date has been determined.

Partners GrowNYC and Big Reuse are saddened to report this news especially because Roosevelt Islanders helped make this program a success.

This weekend please thank (from a distance) Danika our resident food scrap coordinator

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No Roosevelt Island F Train Service From Manhattan This Weekend - Stay Home, Don't Use Public Transportation Unless Absolutely Necessary Or Providing Essential Service Says Governor Cuomo

According to the MTA:

ELECTRICAL IMPROVEMENTS Mar 20 - 23, Fri 9:45 PM to Mon 5 AM Jamaica-bound F trains are rerouted via the E after 47-50 Sts, Manhattan to Roosevelt Av, Queens

No Jamaica-bound F service at 57 St, Lexington Av/63 St, Roosevelt Island and 21 St-Queensbridge.

Most Roosevelt Island residents should stay home and have no need to use the subway unless absolutely necessary or providing an essential service.

Public transportation will keep running to get nurses, doctors, law enforcement officers, and other essential personnel where they need to go.

Everyone else: Limit the use of public transportation to only when absolutely necessary. pic.twitter.com/uOZJlHiCpk

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 20, 2020

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Roosevelt Island Take Out Food Options During Coronavirus Health Emergency - A Few Local Options, Doordash But No UberEats

Fuji East & China 1 closed until further notice. No delivery, no pick up. 🥺 pic.twitter.com/6REU52uvD8

— FinnYorker (@NYTTYTTYY) March 19, 2020

Roosevelt Island restaurant options have always been limited but even more so that our few restaurants are forced to close due to the Coronavirus Pandemic health emergency.Where can Roosevelt Island residents go locally for delivery and take out food?

Nisi Kitchen announced

We apologize if it seems we are taking extreme measures. We consider the safety of the community our first priority. Due to this, we have taken steps to ensure that the way we conduct business during the Coronavirus Pandemic continues to keep the coummunity and our staff safe.

Nisi will now be Cashless. We will only be accepting Credit Cards. We will be operating with Contactless Pick -up & Contactless Delivery Only.

For Pickup please Call your order in at (212) 752-1517 or order online at www.NisiKitchen.com or www.Grubhub.com

Pickup orders will be left on the table in the Vestibule between our two entrance doors, for customers to take without having to come into contact with anyone.

We will continue to do everything in our power to try and stay open to serve the community. We thank you in advance for supporting us during this crises.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone.

Nisi

Uber Eats is not an option for Roosevelt Island

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Roosevelt Island Farmers Market Is Open Saturday And Relocates Back To Good Shepherd Plaza Open Area, Food Scrap Drop Off Moves There Too - Remember To Follow Example Of RI Ducks And Maintain Social Distancing Practices.

The Roosevelt Island Farmers Market plans to be open this Saturday but will move its locations from Motorgate Plaza back to the open area of Good Shepherd Plaza.

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

This Saturday, March 21st., the farmers market and NYC Compost food scrap drop-off is expected to be open and will be relocated to their spring/summer location at Good Shepherd Plaza.

This is subject to change and all social distancing practices should be followed. The Public Safety Department will be on-site monitoring the market for any safety concerns.

Remember to practice at least 6 feet of Social Distancing when you are outside.

Roosevelt Island ducks are heeding advice about Social Distancing during Coronavirus Emergency. Humans please do the same. @NYCMayor @NYGovCuomo @nycemergencymgt @RIOCny https://t.co/xMHP5fa4A0

— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) March 19, 2020

Change Of Mayor de Blasio's Plan For Roosevelt Island Coler Hospital - 350 New Beds Not For Coronavirus Patients But For Current Low Acuity Patients To Free Up Beds For Coronavirus Patients At Other Hospitals Says NYC Council Member Ben Kallos

Reported last Monday:

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today that the NYC Health & Hospital Corp (HHC) Coler Long Term Care Facility on Roosevelt Island will be adding 350 of the 1200 new beds for the treatment of Coronavirus victims...

I asked the Mayor's Office and Roosevelt Island's NYC Council Ben Kallos:

How will the Coronavirus beds effect the existing Coler patients who are among the most vulnerable

Today, Council Member Kallos reports that the 350 new beds at Coler Hospital will not be used for Coronavirus patients:

I am disappointed that at this time @NYCHealthSystem does not plan to treat patients with #Coronavirus at Coler on @RooseveltIsland. I remain committed to working with them, @nycHealthy and @NYCMayor to build more capacity now and moving forward. https://t.co/s5Y1GvFq7H

— Ben Kallos, NYC Council Member (@BenKallos) March 18, 2020

I asked Council Member Kallos:

What does this mean. What are the 350 beds at Roosevelt Island Coler Hospital being used for if not treatment?

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RIOC Coronavirus Emergency Update - Reduces Weekday Red Bus Schedule To Every 15 Minutes, Non Essential Services Suspended, Farmers Market Moving To Good Shepherd Plaza This Saturday And Is More Social Distancing Needed On Roosevelt Island Tram

Last Monday, I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Susan Rosenthal:

Any plans to change or reduce schedule of the Roosevelt Island Tram and Red Bus?

Also, any plan to require reduce passenger capacity on the Roosevelt Island tram for Coronavirus social distancing purposes - keeping as much space as possible between riders?

Have you heard anything about Coler Hospital being used to increase number of NYC hospital beds?

Please keep me in loop regarding any developments.

RIOC Public Information Officer Terrence McCaluley replied later that day:

You and the public will be informed as we get word of what’s happening.

As we said in last night’s update, we do not plan on reducing the amount of Red Bus service at this time. There are no plans to reduce the amount of Tram service or limit customers at this time. However, it is a fluid situation and we encourage everyone to stay tuned for updates.

Today, two days later, RIOC announced:

 As of Thursday, March 19th, the Red Bus will operate on a Weekend Service Schedule until further notice. This means the bus will make all local stops every 15 minutes from 5:30 AM - 2:30 AM. There will be no Octagon Express Bus Service.

Please remember that this is a fluid situation and subject to change. Please check rioc.ny.gov regularly for more information.

As a resident notes last week, the Tram can use some needed Social Distancing to minimize the space between passengers

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Happy St Patrick's Day From Roosevelt Island - Check Out Our Virtual Irish Bar, Grab A Pint Of Your Favorite Brew And Hear Some Great Music From Mae Raney & Henry Raber

Mae Raney is a theater teacher at our local Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance (MST&DA). According to MST&DA Executive Director Kristi Towey:

Mae has performed in several shows here and in numerous theaters around the city. She and Henry Raber perform in Irish bars all over Manhattan and were set to perform for the Roosevelt Island Disabled Association (RIDA) St. Patrick’s Day event.

Unfortunately, the RIDA St Patrick Day event was cancelled due to the Coronavirus health emergency as were any celebrations today.

But now imagine yourself with a pint of Guinness or whatever your favorite drink is and enjoy this wonderful St Patrick’s Day Facebook performance by Mae and Henry.  They're great, hope to see them live sometime.

Mae invites us to:

Come hang out for a virtual St Paddy’s celebration with Henry Raber and I!

Check out Mae Raney's Facebook page for more info.

Also, MST&DA:

... is Closed at this time until March 30th due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Please continue to check your email and the website for updates. We are sharing virtual classes with our current registered students. If you have questions, email us at info@mstda.org

New Roosevelt Island Resident Asks How To Help Community During Coronavirus Health Emergency, Any Ideas? - Gov Cuomo Quotes FDR "News Is Going To Get Worse Before It Gets Better And 2nd Known Roosevelt Island Community Member Tests Positive For Coronavirus

** New #COVID19 guidance for New York City **
Everyone in NYC should act as if they have been exposed to coronavirus. That means monitoring your health closely and staying home from work if you are sick. New Yorkers who are not sick should also stay home as much as possible.

— nycHealthy (@nycHealthy) March 16, 2020

A new Roosevelt Island resident asks what she can do to help the Roosevelt Island community during this Coronavirus health emergency:

I am a newer local RI resident and wondering if there is anything I can do to help our community in these strange and crazy times!

I would not even know where to begin myself, so I was curious do you know of any groups organizing ways to help the local people or businesses in need? If so could you help connect me?

I am fortunate enough to be able to work from home... if there is something I can do to help someone in a tougher position than me (help elderly get the groceries they need, help our very few local restaurants provide to-go meals for families that need the extra help with kids being home all day, tutoring.. etc)

I figure whoever runs this blog is much more in touch with the community than I am so wanted to put it out there!

Thank you and hope to help in some way, however big or small!

Do you know of any opportunities to help on Roosevelt Island? I understand some Rivecross residents are offering help to those in their building that may need it. Any other Roosevelt Island buildings doing the same? Probably best to organize by building or even your own floor.

Here's some tips on how to organize.

New resource here for folks who want to make a building phone tree now (so important!! Please do!!) https://t.co/ALxYy9PyS9

— Adrien Weibgen 💪🏼🏢💜 (@AdrienWeibgen) March 16, 2020

The Rivercross Co-op Board of Directors sent an email to their residents informing that:

.... We are aware of one person in the builidng who has tested positive for the virus. That family is and has been following all CDC recommended protocols to best protect them and others for quite some time (over 14 days)....

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Roosevelt Island Coler Hospital To Add 350 Beds For Coronavirus Patients Says Mayor Bill de Blasio At Briefing Today - How Will This Effect Vulnerable Residents Currently Living At Coler?

We're radically expanding our health care capacity to meet the coming crisis. We're bringing four facilities online to boost capacity by 1,200 new beds.

— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) March 16, 2020

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today that the NYC Health & Hospital Corp (HHC) Coler Long Term Care Facility on Roosevelt Island will be adding 350 of the 1200 new beds for the treatment of Coronavirus victims.

According to Mayor de Blasio:

The Coler facility on Roosevelt Island. An HHC facility that was empty. It is being immediately brought back on line 350 beds. It will be ready in approximately a week's time....

Roosevelt Island NYC Council Member Ben Kallos reports:

We need every bed we can find to care for those who may come down with coronavirus. These 350 beds at Coler public hospital can really help provide the critical care that our family, friends, and neighbors may need to recover.

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Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Message To Community On Coronavirus Emergency

Updating New Yorkers with the latest on the State's #Coronavirus response. WATCH: https://t.co/Ho4oV9GrV9

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 16, 2020

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Ad Interim David Lawson reports:

Fellow Roosevelt Islanders,

The Covid-19 global pandemic has taken the world by surprise. Mayor di Blasio stated: “we are a war-scenario like situation.” This crisis is a test for our public health preparedness as governments state and local authorities are taking unprecedented measures to try and mitigate the spread of the epidemic and its impact worldwide, in countries and communities.

President Trump has declared a national emergency, New York State Governor Cuomo and New York City Mayor di Blasio have declared the state of emergency. These measures are meant to unleash and maximize all the necessary technical and financial resources available at all levels of government to respond to this crisis and reduce its health, human and economic impact.

As a lot remains unknown about this new coronavirus and its potential developments and the extent of its impact, all necessary precautionary measures must be taken by federal, state and local governments, communities and individuals to mitigate its spread. Being one of the highest densely populated cities in the world, New York city is particularly vulnerable to this epidemic. All of us are part of the response against it. All New Yorkers are in this situation together and we will go through this crisis successfully together.

As part of our individual effort to mitigate the spread of the virus, we encourage you to review regularly and follow the information, recommendations and updates of Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and New York State Department of Health.

Furthermore, RIOC receives daily updates from Albany and NYC with the most current guidelines and suggestions. Throughout this crisis, RIOC will disseminate all relevant and important information to Roosevelt Islanders and take all necessary measures to keep Roosevelt Island safe.

Among specific measures taken by RIOC, they informed that to protect our Roosevelt Island Community, RIOC premises and public spaces are cleaned thoroughly daily. RIOC Facilities Department and third-party cleaning staff have stepped up their efforts to make sure Roosevelt Island public areas are disinfected, using bleach whenever and wherever appropriate and safe. Clorox wipes and Lysol Spray is made available and be used at all of RIOC facilities and offices to reduce possible contamination.

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Roosevelt Island Facilities Including Sportspark And Cultural Center Closed Due To Coronavirus Health Emergency Reports RIOC - Also, RIDA Cancels St Patrick's Day Party And MST&DA Suspends Classes For Next 2 Weeks

The Twitterverse asked this morning:

Sports park closed? Pool? Not returning my calls and no email sent out.

— LICRYNO (@LicRyno) March 15, 2020

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) announced this evening:

Please be advised that all RIOC permits are cancelled and all RIOC permitted facilities are closed until further notice.

The RIOC facilities closings include the Sportspark and Cultural Center.

The Coronavirus health emergency has also cancelled the Roosevelt Island Disabled Association (RIDA) St Patrick's Day Party:

As the well-being of our members has always been our top priority, we would never want to put anyone at risk. In lieu of the chaos and uncertainty in NYC at this time, we at RIDA feel it necessary to cancel our St. Patrick's Day event on Monday evening, March 16th. With this being said, we would still like those who had originally signed up for the event, to come down to the senior center at 5:30pm on Monday evening in order to pick up, take home and enjoy a traditional St. Patrick’s day meal.

And from the Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance:

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Roosevelt Island PS/IS 217 Parent Tests Positive For Coronavirus - Governor Cuomo And Mayor de Blasio Announce NYC Public Schools Closing Tomorrow Due To Coronavirus Emergency, Hope To Reopen April 20

Earlier today, a Roosevelt Island PS/IS 217

parent shared a letter received from school Principal Mandana Beckman last Friday. According to this excerpt of Ms Beckman's letter:

... We would like to make clear that at this time no member of our student body or school staff has a confirmed case of coronavirus.

A member of our school community who has identified themselves at potentially higher risk for contracting the virus is at home in voluntary self-quarantine.

We are following citywide guidance to urge any member of our school community who is feeling sick to stay home. Please remember that it is cold and flu season, and no absence, for any amount of time, should be interpreted as a coronavirus-related absence.

I can reassure all of you that if the City of New York confirms a case of coronavirus within our school, the school community would be immediately notified by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and myself, and next steps would be clearly outlined without delay....

I asked Principal Beckman if the Coronavirus test results were positive and:

Will the school will be open on Monday and rest of this week?

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